Find Death Records in Knox County

Knox County death records are kept by the County Clerk's Office in Galesburg, Illinois. Whether you need a certified death certificate for a legal matter or want to search older records for family history, this page explains the options available to you through the Knox County Clerk and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Knox County Clerk's Office

The Knox County Clerk is responsible for vital records in Knox County, including certified death certificates for all deaths that occur within the county. The office is at 200 S. Cherry Street, Galesburg, IL 61401. Phone: 309-345-3815. For general county information, visit the Knox County official website.

Galesburg serves as the county seat for Knox County, a county in west-central Illinois. All deaths recorded in Galesburg and in smaller communities throughout the county are filed with the clerk's office on Cherry Street. The clerk maintains these records and handles requests for both certified and genealogical copies.

Certified copies carry legal standing and are used for estate settlement, insurance claims, and similar purposes. Genealogical copies are uncertified and are useful for family history research for records that are at least 20 years old. Call 309-345-3815 before your visit to confirm current hours and fees, and to ask whether any specific forms are required for your type of request.

How to Request Knox County Death Records

Knox County death certificates can be obtained in person at the clerk's office in Galesburg, by mail, or through VitalChek online. Each method produces the same official county document.

Visiting in person at 200 S. Cherry Street in Galesburg is the fastest option. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Know the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the location within Knox County where the death occurred. State your relationship to the person and the reason for the request. Payment is due at the time of service.

Mail requests go to the same address. Include a photocopy of your ID, the identifying information for the deceased, a signed statement of your purpose, your return mailing address, and a check or money order for the fee. Avoid sending cash. Processing time plus mail delivery in both directions can take a few weeks, so build that into your timeline if you have a due date.

The VitalChek Illinois vital records portal processes online orders for Knox County death certificates and ships them to your address.

VitalChek is authorized by the state to process Illinois vital records orders. It charges a service fee in addition to the certificate cost and accepts credit card payments, making it convenient when you cannot visit or mail a request to Galesburg.

Who Can Get a Knox County Death Certificate

Certified death certificates in Illinois are not publicly available. Under 410 ILCS 535/24, only eligible people may receive a certified copy. These records are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, so general disclosure requests do not apply.

Eligible requesters include the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased. Others may qualify if they have a direct personal or property interest in the record. Licensed attorneys representing an eligible party, funeral directors involved in the case, and genealogy researchers seeking records that are at least 20 years old may also apply. Genealogical copies are uncertified. All requesters must provide valid photo ID at the time of the request.

Note: Contact the Knox County Clerk at 309-345-3815 before submitting your request if you are not sure whether your situation qualifies under Illinois law.

Illinois Department of Public Health Records

IDPH holds statewide death records for all counties in Illinois. If the Knox County Clerk cannot locate the record you need, or if the death occurred before local records were consistently maintained, IDPH is the right next step. The Vital Records office is at 925 E. Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702-2737. Phone: (217) 782-6554, weekdays 10am to 3pm. Learn more at the IDPH death records page.

Under 410 ILCS 535/25, a search fee is required before IDPH begins processing any request. Standard mail processing takes about 12 weeks. If you need a record urgently and can document the need, expedited options may be available.

The IDPH death records page gives Knox County residents a clear path to statewide death record resources in Springfield when the county clerk cannot fulfill a request.

IDPH is a reliable option for older Knox County records or deaths that occurred in the county before systematic local registration was in place.

Communities in Knox County

Knox County includes Galesburg, Abingdon, Knoxville, and other smaller communities. Death records for all of these towns are filed with the Knox County Clerk at 200 S. Cherry Street, Galesburg. No cities in Knox County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

If you are unsure which county holds the record you need, check the county where the death occurred. These counties share a border with Knox County.